(OpenGovAsia)Immersive media has been identified by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) Singapore, as one of four key frontier technology focus areas (the other three are artificial intelligence and data science; cybersecurity; and Internet of Things and future communications infrastructure). A pilot project was conducted in March 20167 to test the feasibility of VR technology as a tool in the teaching and learning of social studies in Singapore schools. The VR technology was piloted in five primary schools, covering around 400 students in March 2017. Twenty-five teachers went through a training workshop to conduct the VR lesson prior to the pilot. During each one-hour lesson, students experienced 4-5 VR experiences, lasting no more than 5 minutes each. In between the VR experiences, students also completed related activities to reinforce their learning on the topic.
The VR solution was developed through an IMDA grant to Beach House Pictures Pte. Ltd. in December 2016. MOE provided inputs on the design of the Primary Social Studies VR lesson packages to ensure that it was aligned to the curriculum and the learning outcomes of the Social Studies primary school syllabus.